Navy unlikely to charge officer who fired at Chattanooga gunman

The fate of the Navy commanding officer who fired his personal handgun at an armed assailant during the deadly July 16 attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee, remains undecided, despite an unconfirmed report to the contrary that surfaced online over the weekend, according to a Navy spokesman.

Lt. Cmdr. Tim White, the CO of Navy Operational Support Center Chattanooga, has not been charged with "illegally discharging a firearm on federal property," said Cmdr. William Marks, despite the claim of a conservative commentator. "Stories of Navy personnel being charged with an offense are not true," Marks said in a statement. "There is still a long way to go in reviewing the facts of this tragic incident, but at this time we can confirm no service member has been charged with an offense."

While officials are not ruling out charges, multiple Navy sources said it was highly unlikely that White would be charged or reprimanded, which would likely trigger a public backlash and create the possibility of a highly charged court-martial.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/sto...oga-nosc-tim-white-shooting-charges/31157189/